Motivated
by ImDefinitelySane
Summary: Robin is in trouble and Wally isn't fast enough to save him. I guess anything is possible with the right motivation.


Great job, Robin. You definitely did it this time. The Joker's maniacal laughter goes up a notch in pitch as he notices me glance down nervously at the chasm below. My eyes then fall to my bright yellow utility belt lying on the ground a few feet away. It had ripped during my tussle with the Joker, leaving me with absolutely no form of defence.

Being the prideful idiot that I am, I decided to go after the psychotic clown on my own, not wanting to let him get away while we waited for backup. The team protested and I pulled my infamous ninja vanishing act.

I now realize that that was possibly the stupidest thing I could have done. And it only took the Joker holding me over the side of a steep cliff for me to finally realize that I have a team for a reason.

I force back a terrified whimper as I look at the massive drop and the very unwanted thoughts flood my head of the Joker's grip on my cape collar being the only thing stopping me from falling down it. My hands, small in comparison to his, clasp desperately at his wrists. The feeling of my nails digging into his skin only making him laugh harder.

"Robin!" My head jerks in the direction of my name, recognizing the voice. It seems backup had finally arrived...I had heard the gunfire and yelling in the background and I now realize it had stopped. The Dark Knight stood at the base of the cliff, near where the forest cut off. He was too far away to catch me if I fell...And judging by how heavily The Flash was leaning on my mentor's side and the odd way his leg twisted, I make the deduction that the Flash couldn't save me either.

I see Wally look at the ground and I know he's killing himself over not being as fast as his mentor. For not being fast enough to save me. I tighten my grip on the Joker knowing that if I die here Wally will blame himself. I can't do that to Wally.

I kick the laughing clown in the stomach, succeeding in knocking the wind out of him. He lets go of me as he doubles over in pain, letting me fall. I only just manage to grab onto the edge. I hear frantic cries from the 'spectators' and I allow myself a brief glance. I can just make out the look of pure terror on Wallys face.

I quickly return my attention to pulling myself up, not looking forward to facing the Joker again, with no equipment this time. My eyes widen as I realize just how much a mistake looking back had been. It had given the Joker enough time to recover.

He smiles down at me, his foot pressing down on the top of my head. He leans down a bit putting more pressure on my head and causing me to slip slightly. I scrape my feet against the side of the cliff uselessly, the gravel and dirt only giving way further and making pebbles tumble down the sheer cliff. His grin widens with malice at my panicked expression before practically purring out his words.

"Let's see if the little bird can fly~" And with that he applies the last bit of pressure needed to dislodge me from the cliffside. Everything moves in slow motion for the first few seconds of my free fall. I hear the desperate call from Bats and the the Joker laughing above me.

I briefly wonder if this is what it's like for Wally when he runs. And then I remember Wally. I imagine how he would react to my death. The fact that he couldn't save me...He would never forgive himself. The fact that he had been there. The fact that he just wasn't fast enough... That he just wasn't as fast as Flash... That would kill him.

The glimmer of something falling a little ways above me catches my eye. My eyes widen when I realize it was a tear. I was crying. I could feel the salty liquid pool in my eyes and fall from my lashes. Years of training to hold back my emotions and I was crying. And it wasn't even over my imminent death. It was over what my death would do to Wally. Wally...Wally!

"Wally!" I call out the name that keeps running through my head, and time returns to it's normal speed. I hear Wally's heartbroken cry of my name and what sounds like a gunshot. I close my eyes and wait for the impact, thinking only of wally.

I feel an impact but it's nothing like the one I had been expecting. I open my eyes to find myself wrapped protectively in Wallys arms. He's sitting down with his back pressed against the rocks of the cliff face. He's breathing hard and I look up at his closed eyes in confusion.

"Robin!" I glance to my side to see Bats rushing up to me, an injured Flash hanging off of his shoulder. He sets the hurt speedster down and they both kneel down beside us. KF has regained some of his breath and is now looking down at me just as surprised as I am.

"D-Did I just.." He glances between me, Bats, and a very excited Flash. The Flash starts to talk at high speeds and the only one with the shitest chance of understanding him is staring up at him with an annoyed face.

"Dude, slow down. I'm only catching every few words. Not as fast as you remember?" KF raises an eyebrow and The flash speaks again at a much slower speed but with just as much excitement.

"I'm not so sure anymore dude! You just broke the sound barrier in two seconds flat!" KF shrugs and speaks in a monotone voice. as though breaking the sound barrier in two seconds isn't anything important.

"It was a one time thing...A fluke. I don't think i could do it again. I was…" He glances down at me and I feel a slight blush at his smirk. "...Motivated."

"It's still cool!" Flash is practically bouncing with excitement and if his leg wasn't badly broken I have little doubt that he would be running in circles. Flash always reminded me of an excited puppy… Wally laughs.

"Yeah. I guess you're right." I stare at his laughing face blushing. I much prefer this one over the one I saw when i was dangling inches from my death. I stare down at my hands the realization that i'm alive finally starting to sink in.

"Hey, Robin…" I quickly glance up at my name. Wally was staring down at me with a smirk and a misguided glint in his eye. My face turns bright red at what he says next, my domino mask doing nothing to hide it.

"How long do you plan on staying in my lap?"


End file.
